Our theme for the month of September will center around the first three Chakras and the asanas (yoga postures) associated with them. These three Chakras are essential for a stable and grounded life. If you are not familiar with the yogic concept of the Chakra, it means wheel of energy. All the Chakras manifest themselves as different expressions of emotions (forms of energy), which can provide helpful feedback for living a balanced life. For those of you who like to see the intersection of yoga and science, I’ve included a diagram of “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs”, which shows similarities to the Chakras. Let’s briefly look at the first Chakra and see just how practical this ancient wisdom is for tuning in to and regulating our emotional energy.
The first Chakra, which is traditionally associated with the base of the spine, is described by the Sanskrit term Muladhara and it is expressed by the emotions of fear or security. It is easy to see why this is the root Chakra, because if you don’t feel secure, it’s hard to devote energies to other aspects of your life. For this reason, the root Chakra’s position is below the other Chakras and it’s interesting to note that Maslow puts security near the bottom of his hierarchy of needs as well (see diagram below). The yogis were some of our first psychologists! The significance of basic physical security is even evident within each breath we take. When we take deep diaphragmatic breaths, the flight or fight branch of the nervous system is activated on the inhale and the rest and digest on the exhale. With each breath, the two branches of your nervous system are “rehearsing” to prepare for whatever may come your way (to keep you safe)! How do the asanas fit into feeling secure? We know from science that a body’s posture can affect the mind, a phenomenon known as embodied cognition. We can engage stable grounding postures like mountain pose (tadasana) to influence our minds. Utilizing other stable poses like forward folds (uttanasana), child’s pose (balasana) along with the physiological impact of the exhale can provide a sense of grounding.
In our uncertain times it’s especially important to take time in meditation to reflect on the emotions that are surfacing and function much like the warning lights on our car’s dashboard. It might be helpful to spend some time reflecting on your level of security (root Chakra) and incorporating the postures previously mentioned and deep breathing to bring stability. As we develop this foundation of security, we’re free to move on to other Chakras, which each manifest in different emotions that can be monitored. Check back in throughout the month of September as we explore two other Chakras and the asanas that support them.